Housemaids - Many Duties, Few Rights

Housemaids: Many Duties, Few Rights
ADRIANA ZAMORA | La Habana | 11 de Junio de 2016 - 2:13 pm.

Since 1959 the occupation of housemaid has been one of those most
closely associated in Cuba with ​​"capitalist exploitation." Perhaps
this is why, when they began to reappear in everyday life they were
referred to with euphemisms that have survived down until today; the
most widespread is "the lady (or girl) who helps me at home."

"If servants disappeared after the Revolution, I don't think it was for
long," says Rachel, 38. "There have always been people willing to pay to
have their housework done."

Rachel remembers a classmate of hers from grade school who had a maid at
home. "It is true that it was not very common, but there was a maid at
home. The boy's father was a sailor, and the mom didn't lift a finger.
The lady they had did everything, even pick up my friend from school. "

These days the situation seems to be the same, except that there are
more maids, or they're more visible.

"A few years ago it was more difficult to find families with maids,"
says Raquel. "Now anyone with a little business, or whose family sends
them money, can afford one."

What the maids have to say

Working as a maid or domestic is among the self-employed activities
authorized by the Government. It belongs to the "simplified regime,"
such that it is not necessary to file a sworn return at the end of the year.

According to the legislation, this type of worker is to pay 30 pesos
(national currency) per month in taxes, and 262.50 pesos quarterly for
social security. Though it is one of the activities with the lowest tax
rates, most of those working in this capacity still prefer to forgo a
license.

Employers rarely want to talk about the tasks assigned or the wages paid
to domestic workers, predominantly women. But many of these workers have
no qualms about doing so.

"Who said that 35 or 40 CUC (convertible pesos) a month is a lot of
money?" asks Oneyda, age 54. "It's true that it's more than a salary
paid by the State, but it's not easy to earn that."

Oneyda was hired by a family to do the cleaning and cooking three times
a week. "The house was huge, and cleaning it did not involve just
pushing a broom around. You had to throw water, and really scrub. I
ended up exhausted every time I went. "

To make matters worse, Oneyda's duties increased over time. "At home
there was a bedridden old man, who was not my responsibility, but one
day I bathed him, just to help out, and I got stuck with the task."

Oneyda ended up washing and ironing his clothes, bathing him, and
cutting his hair and nails. "All this on top of the cleaning, which was
what the lady of the house and I had initially agreed to."

In the end Oneyda quit the job, because they gave her more and more
tasks, but at the same pay. "But there are people who have been in the
same situation as me, and they stay on. They don't even dare complain,
lest they lose their jobs."

One such case is that of Mariela, who holds a degree in Optometry. She
is younger than 40, and could be working in Public Health, but she opted
to work as a domestic because the salary was actually higher.

"I am paid 70 CUC per month, which might seem like a lot of money to
some, but they really work me to the bone," she says.

As in the case of Oneyda, Mariela was hired to clean and cook in a huge
house for a family of four. Her tasks also increased, though her pay
remained stagnant. "Sometimes I even get paid less, because supposedly I
work fewer hours. But when the owner calls me to take care of the girls
at night, they don't pay me extra. "

Mariela is now the maid and babysitter for some little girls, who insist
that she make them their meals and take them to school. "They say the
girls don't want anyone else to do it, so I can´t get out of it. It is
true that I care for them, but sometimes I feel overhwelmed by
everything I've got to do," she says.

"The worst part is putting up with my employer's husband. The guy is
very rude to me. I've even had to see him in his underwear. And he
doesn´t even pay. She does."

Xiomara, a 68-year-old retiree, has been working as a maid since she
stopped working.

"I've seen it all," she says. "I started at the house of some friends
because the girl was having a difficult pregnancy. There were many
things she couldn´t do, including taking good care of her eldest son, so
I helped her."

This was a good experience for Xiomara. "They're good people and did not
take advantage of or ask too much of me. Just what we agreed to."

Xiomara then worked in other houses. "I had to leave one, because there
was something more to do every day, and they didn´t pay me for it," she
says. "There are people who think that for 40 CUC they have a pack
mule," she complains.

Xiomara currently cleans several houses, on different days of the week.
"I work every day, but at different houses. That's better, because no
one thinks I'm their property. "

Although she has several infirmities typical of her age, Xiomara does
not intend to stop working as a domestic. "My pension is not enough, and
I don't have any family to help me. My refrigerator broke and there's no
other way for me to come up with the 100 CUC to fix it. "

No contract, no union

None of these three women has signed a contract with their employer.
They all work based on oral agreements. This makes it easier to add
tasks that were not previously agreed to.

"I guess that to demand a contract I'd have to have a license," says
Xiomara. "But think about it. If the pay isn't much, and you have to pay
for the license on top of it, the numbers don´t add up."

Mariela and Oneyda agree. Oneyda reasons, "even if I paid for a license
there's no union to defend me if my employer wrongs me, so there's no
difference."

The self-employed holding licenses, in theory, have the right to form
unions - within the Government's Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC),
of course. But this law offers these women no guarantees.

"It would be just another union like all the others in the country,
controlled by the CTC," they explain. "When has the CTC really defended
workers?" snaps Oneyda.

The three women scoff at the possibility of creating an independent
union that truly represents the interests of its members.

"A union not under the control of the CTC?" asked Xiomara. "The truth is
that it sounds like a pipe dream. No, girl. This job will remain the way
it is. If you don't like it, you can quit. But you can forget about rights."

Source: Housemaids: Many Duties, Few Rights | Diario de Cuba -
http://www.diariodecuba.com/cuba/1465647230_23014.html